How representative is SDN?

[Brickhouse]

Just wondering, I feel like I'm at the very bottom of the pile with my lousy 2 interviews, seems like everyone did a whole lot better on their MCAT, and after reading that interview/acceptance poll - I'm thinking, who are you people?

Are we a good sample?

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[essbe]

I sincerely doubt that the people who post regularly are a representative sample. I'm sure there are more lurkers than posters. Note the abysmal replies:views ratio for various threads; I'm hesitant to give that much credit even to those of us who obsessively refresh them. Think of how many confessed applicants there are *just* from your college, and from the AAMC's new applicant data, and think of how many unique screen names you see on SDN every day. The superstar applicants who are far along in this process are more inclined to share their 20+ interview experiences, whereas the rest of us tend to bite our nails, look furtively around, and stress.

This is probably a good sign that we should turn off the computer and do something else in the interim to calm down. I'm trying to find a good yoga class.

 

[Naphtali]

No. SDN tends to attract hyperactive, over achiever, manic types. People who have no reason to worry so much, but do anyway. A lot of people who post here, particlarly on the type of thread you mentioned, are just doing the grand ego-stroke. Pay no attention to them... you only need 1 acceptance. Remember that. Someone who gets 5 won't be any more of a doctor than you.

Mind you, I'm talking about the Pre-Allopathic forum. Other forums are made up of (slightly) more sane people. Of course, the insanity can be fun. Why do you think I read this forum? It's great for a laugh. ("OMG my GPA is only 3.8 and 35 MCAT and I have 5000 volunteer hours what do you think my chances are...")

Naphtali

PS: forgot to add: good luck with the interview process!

 

[dankev]

I remember someone averaging the MCAT post when the Aug results came out. The average was 32 and change, or around the 90th percentile. If 90% really is the average on this board, that makes this group around the top 20%.

And really, it's a small % even here that are talking about their 10 interviews and 5 acceptances. Don't sweat it. We have until May.

 

[basupran]

Yep....don't look to SDN for a representative sample. Similar to the August MCAT thread, the April average was about a 33..a bit higher than the August. I scored well, but after reading all the posts, felt like the biggest ******* in the world! I felt embarassed about the fact that I got below a 35. Go figure. Anyways, don't feel bad, it isn't just you.

 

[Benjo]

yea, this place is truly psycho. Before I first stumbled upon this site I was probably a lot like you--serious about wanting to be a doctor, but pretty laid back and confident that everything would work itself out. After a few days/weeks of visiting this abysmal cesspool, I have become a lot more like the caricature pre-med: nail-biting, obsessive compulsive, manic, and just plain psycho and uptight. This place can be helpful, but the posts about stats and opinions are just worthless, since most of the people posting here are over-achieving nerds. ANd if you think that is bitterness talking, try again--unless you're in an elite .6% I'm not jealous. This place has made me lose my peace of mind, but it is addictive, and I am beginning to sorely regret the minutes I spend reading some of the less helpful threads on this site. Sorry to rant, but I have had a ****ty day, and I hate this goddamn process (not to mention the dreaded fact that the more successful I am at it, the more likely I will be surrounded by the freakish tools that inhabit this site--not that everybody here is, so don't bash me).

 

[potuhusky]

no it is not. but what if it is? can you trust me? always beware of the source...

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by basupran
Yep....don't look to SDN for a representative sample. Similar to the August MCAT thread, the April average was about a 33..a bit higher than the August. I scored well, but after reading all the posts, felt like the biggest ******* in the world! I felt embarassed about the fact that I got below a 35. Go figure. Anyways, don't feel bad, it isn't just you.

With stats and voluntary posting, you will always get a skewed sample because people will high scores want to volunteer their high scores, while people with lower or average scores have no incentive to post. SDN is not only skewed in this regard, but with a general population of people who are highly motivated.

 

[STAC]

I agree with those people above, this is not representative of the tremendous variety of people who apply to medical school. FYI and comfort (or discomfort and possible anger) I applied to 7 Texas schools last year and interviewed at two and was waitlisted at one. My "stats" are a 3.0 gpa and a 22L 6v7p9b. However, my gpa is skewed a bit because I am a nontraditional student. My gpa is closer to 3.85 in my pre-med classes over the past 122 hours. This is the course work from my second degree...but whatever. You get the idea.

I just retook the MCAT in August and made a 26M. 10v7p9b. I already have an interview set up for this year.

 

[Jeffy]

without a doubt, do not take anything on SDN and take it as representative of anything having to do with med school. frantic premed gunners make a pretty portion of the population here. and don't even take their movie or song ideas either 'cause their bad taste is not representative of most humans either.

 

[Thousandth]

Ok WTF is a gunner? I have seen the phrase used excessivly on the board and still don't know what it means. And no I am not going to search the five trillion posts that the word shows up in just to find a possible deffinition.

And yes I am just that lazy...brain power must be used elsewhere..and not for sppelinn.

 

[mackaikai]

someone who plays a lot of Counterstrike.

Originally posted by Thousandth
Ok WTF is a gunner? I have seen the phrase used excessivly on the board and still don't know what it means. And no I am not going to search the five trillion posts that the word shows up in just to find a possible deffinition.

And yes I am just that lazy...brain power must be used elsewhere..and not for sppelinn.

 

[sgilani]

Originally posted by basupran
I scored well, but after reading all the posts, felt like the biggest ******* in the world! I felt embarassed about the fact that I got below a 35.

yeah... definitely not a representative sample. i would kiss the guy who wrote the mcat for that score.

 

[robotdancing]

sdn is way, way unrepresentative. remember that an mcat score of 29 is in the 75th percentile of overall results. browsing through sdn, you'd assume the mean was in the mid-30's.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

as far as neurotic pre-meds...it hit the bullseye

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by Benjo
This place can be helpful, but the posts about stats and opinions are just worthless, since most of the people posting here are over-achieving nerds. ANd if you think that is bitterness talking, try again--unless you're in an elite .6% I'm not jealous.

LOL. "stats are worthless", then "I am in the elite 0.6%?"

 

[Benjo]

yea, yea--I was waiting for somebody to bring that up. I only mentioned that so people wouldn't jump on me for having an inferiority complex. I know, it sounded pompous and all-too-typical for this site. For that, I apologize. I was just trying to make sure that people didn't think I hated those types of posts because I couldn't measure up. (And, I am proud of my scores, dammit-I majored in sociology for christ's sake, and studied on my own).
And Labfiend--I am glad to know there is someone else out there as severely afflicted by this pernicious and addictive forum as me.

 

[Brickhouse]

Hey Benjo I majored in sociology, too! Fabulous major, didn't you find?

Yeah I'm totally addicted to this site and all the little brats that post here everyday and talk smack (myself included). But I'm glad that most people here agree about this not being a good sample of med school.....hey wait a second....why am I listening to any of you ....you're all on this site too! I can't trust anyone!! I'm going insane!!!

Awright, the irony probably doesn't come through quite right in the reading, but I think I'm funny anyway.

 

[Nefertari]

Yeah, SDNers are a bunch of obssessive crazies, and I was one of them last year, getting stressed & freaked out @ every frigging step of the 15 month process.

It feels so empowering to wean myself off SDN this year & have a normal life again. Now I have time to cuddle w/ my b/f. Aaaahhh . . . .

 

[jlee9531]

tho i agree with the fact that there are many high achievers that like to post their good fortune...i do believe there are a good amount of people on here that get lower than stellar scores that are naturally worried about the application process.

sdn maybe somewhat skewed...but if everyone was as psychotic as we make them out to be...this would truly be a worthless forum, which it is definitely not.

props to all the helpful and supportive posters that make this a great site.

 

[ice_23]

Yep, I agree with the above. Although the sample size of those who post may not be representative of the general population (so effectively, don't freak out if you are not in that select group of ppl with such stats) the forum does have some incredibly useful information. You just gotta be able to separate the relevant, good posts from the hype (for starters, ALWAYS ignore Squat 'n Squeeze unless you want a good laugh ).

-Ice

 

[spumoni620]

Originally posted by Benjo
yea, this place is truly psycho. Before I first stumbled upon this site I was probably a lot like you--serious about wanting to be a doctor, but pretty laid back and confident that everything would work itself out. After a few days/weeks of visiting this abysmal cesspool, I have become a lot more like the caricature pre-med: nail-biting, obsessive compulsive, manic, and just plain psycho and uptight. This place can be helpful, but the posts about stats and opinions are just worthless, since most of the people posting here are over-achieving nerds. ANd if you think that is bitterness talking, try again--unless you're in an elite .6% I'm not jealous. This place has made me lose my peace of mind, but it is addictive, and I am beginning to sorely regret the minutes I spend reading some of the less helpful threads on this site. Sorry to rant, but I have had a ****ty day, and I hate this goddamn process (not to mention the dreaded fact that the more successful I am at it, the more likely I will be surrounded by the freakish tools that inhabit this site--not that everybody here is, so don't bash me).

benjo, i'm sorry you feel this way...i definitely agree with the other posters above that sdn isn't going to give you a cross-section of the general med school applicant population. in just reading this site and accumulating its valuable information, you are probably already several steps ahead in the game. you just have to ignore what's useless and obviously self-serving (the omg, i have a 35 and 3.9, can i get into xyz school, etc. etc. and detach yourself from incendiary posts. threads about the interviews/acceptances/rejections serve to let others know where schools are in their applicant rounds, and also give the potential for 2 sdners to meet up at an interview if they have the same date...however, some of the most successful people on this board don't have stellar stats (believe it or not). hopefully this site can reiterate that it's not just stats that are important but the package as a whole. and while there are some uptight, anal premeds on this site i have come across several laid back, funny, and sensitive ppl who would make awesome med school classmates.

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by Brickhouse
Just wondering, I feel like I'm at the very bottom of the pile with my lousy 2 interviews, seems like everyone did a whole lot better on their MCAT, and after reading that interview/acceptance poll - I'm thinking, who are you people?

Are we a good sample?

You also should keep in mind that although a lot of SDNers are honestly giving their actual stats, I have no doubts that there are people that embelish and increase their stats to either make themselves feel better, or get more respect or who just like to lie, etc....

There are more of us here who don't share our stats then there are those who do share their stats. So in my opinion you can't really tell what the stats are of SDN posters. Don't let things here make you feel badly.

SDN is here to help you not make you feel like you are the stupidest person here. I feel there are more average stat SDNers here than there are high stat SDNers. Now this is just my opinion, but I am making my guess after reading lots and lots of posts over the last 3 years.

 

[divinemsm]

...a good friend of mine ( currently applying )asked me " what's the name of that site you were /are obsessively on ?"........for her own good, I refused to say.

 

[AthanasiusJam]

Is this Official Guide (found in the "All of MOST you need to know for applying to med school: For Current Applicants") really a representative method of applying to medical school, or is it a little too high-pitched and specifically catered to those neurotic pre-meds that SDN harbors?

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by AthanasiusJam
Is this Official Guide (found in the "All of MOST you need to know for applying to med school: For Current Applicants") really a representative method of applying to medical school, or is it a little too high-pitched and specifically catered to those neurotic pre-meds that SDN harbors?

would you rather have it that there was noone offering up advice on the application process? i think that guy was very kind to take the time to come up with that massage post to help all of us out. not that all of us will follow it word for word but for the people who are curious and have questions about certain general aspects of the application process its a great resource. i mean it was the only sticky post for a while there.

like i said before all of us are not f*cking neurotic!!

happy trails.

 

[Fenrezz]

Originally posted by XCanadianRagwee
as far as neurotic pre-meds...it hit the bullseye

Yeah, med students really are as anal as some of the people that post here (allo and osteo). Anyone who will be starting next August, pay close attention to the personalities of the people on this message board. You'll be dealing with them for the next 4 years.

 

[Optimist]

Originally posted by Thousandth
Ok WTF is a gunner? I have seen the phrase used excessivly on the board and still don't know what it means. And no I am not going to search the five trillion posts that the word shows up in just to find a possible deffinition.

And yes I am just that lazy...brain power must be used elsewhere..and not for sppelinn.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89304&highlight=gunner